Baby walker



R. NOEL, Sn.

BABY WALKER. APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 1919.

1,41 9,890, Patented June 13-, 1922'.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

A TTOR/VEYS vasiraa STATES FATENT OFF'H'ZE.

RAYMOND NOEL, SR., OF DUBOIS, PENNSYLVANIA.

BABY WALKER.

Application filed May 8, 1919; Serial No. 295,718.

' more particularly relates to baby walkers of that type of which an example is shown in United States Letters Patent, granted to me February 11, 1919, No. 1,294,300 and in which provision is made for permitting the baby to travel back and forth longi-' tudinally of the structure on an elevated platform provided for the purpose and to which legs are hingedly connected, said legs at the top being capable of movement. relatively to the upper main frame of the baby walker, the arrangement being for the purpose of readily setting'up the structure when required for use or conveniently assembling the same in knocked down form. In connection with the upper main frame a seat is provided suspended in a manner to be turned about a vertical axis or to be moved back and forth along the structure. The present invention has particularly in view the provision of novel means for connecting the legs with the upper main frame and an effective means to brace the legs in the erect position, the present invention being characterized also by a novel means of supporting a seat on the main frame.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, it being understood that the drawings are merely illustrative of one example of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a baby walker embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of one end of the main frame and a portion of the pair of legs, the view indicating the manner of connecting the legs with the upper main frame and the movment of the legs along the frame from an erect to'a knocked-down condition or vice versa;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of one end of the structure in knocked down form;

Figure 4 is a partly sectional end view of a fragment of a structure when in erect form;

Figure 5 is'an inverted plan view of the seat supporting means;

Figure 6 is a detail in vertical section of said seat supporting means.

In carrying out my invention any suitable top frame is provided consisting of longitudinal bars 10 and end members 11, the latter usually taking the form of tables on which the child may play or from which it may eat. Pairs of legs 12 are provided at each end of the structure, the legs of a pair being connected by cross bars 13 beneath the main frame bars 10. Slidable and rockable connection is effected between the legs 12 and the main frame 10 as follows: Longitudinal guide rods 14 are provided in recesses 17 in the under side of longitudinal bars 10 and rings 15 on the legs loosely embrace said rods 14. Said rings aresuitably secured to the legs, there being provided for this purpose in the illustrated example straps 16 carrying said rings 15, v

and secured to the legs. The length of the slots 17 determines the distance the upper ends of the legs may travel along the bars 10 by reasonof the connection of the ele 'ments 14, 15, the end walls 18, 19 of said slots constituting stops arresting the rings 15. i

A board 20 is supported on the legs 12 elevated above the floor level and on which the child may travel back and forth in the structure.

of hinges 21 applied to the under side of the board 20 and to the cross bar 22 of each pair of legs as best seen in Figure 3. Thus, the legs may swing on the hinges 21 and may slide and rock at the connection between the rings 15 and guide rods 14, the connection between the rings 15 and the straps 16 being also loose to permit relative turning movement of the rings. A cleat 23 is preferably provided on the under side of the board 20 adjacent to the hinge, the cross bar 22 being accommodated between the hinge and said fixed cleat whenthe de vice is set up for use.

In order to brace the structure when erect, I provide U-shaped brace yokes designated generally by the numeral 25 and consisting each of a cross bar rockably secured to the upper face of the board 20 as by straps 26. Said braces present upwardly extending side arms 27 having upturned ends 28 which Connection between the legs l2 and the board 20 is through the medium rests near its edge.

are received in grooves in the respective legs 12. The grooves in each leg include an oblique groove 29 receiving the upturned ends 28 of the brace yoke and a top groove 30 at approximately right angles to the main groove 29. The top groove 30 accommodates the ends 28 and holds theyoke in position when the device is erect, whereas when the structure is being given a knockedture in knocked-down form. The seat 33 generally of crescentic shape with forwardly extending central stick 34 is suitably suspended, there being shown a series of straps 35 and springs 36 which connect with a .structure or element slidable in the main 25 frame 10. In accordance with my present invention the springs 36 are secured to a ring 37 held in place on a slide 38 by depending L-shaped retainers 39. The slide 38 travels in longitudinal grooveslO in the frame bars 10. The retainers 39 include brackets 41' suitably secured by screws or the like at the under side of the slide 38. On the vertical members of the L-shaped retainers 39 are friction sleeves or rollers 42 against which the edge of the ring 37 may bear while the horizontal arms of the retainers 39 are reduced to form spindles 43 on which turn balls 44: on which the ring 37 Thus, the sleeves 42 form roller bearings for the edge of the ring 37 while the balls 44 constitute ball bearings at the under side of the ring. Thus, a child occupying the seat 33 may turn by giving turning movement to the ring 37 about the axis of the latter. At the same time the slide 38 and ring 37 will follow any longitudinal movement imparted to the seat by the child.

I would state in conclusion that while the illustrated example constitutes a practical embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself strictly to the mechanical details herein illustrated, since manifestly the same can be considerably varied without departure from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent: 7

1. A knock-down baby walker including a top frame, legs adjacent the ends of the frame, means permanently connecting said legs near their upper ends with said frame,

said meanspermitting a sliding and rockable movementof the legs relatively to theframe in erecting the structure or giving it a knocked-down form, and a floor carr ed by said legs and hingedly connected with the latter.

V 2. A knock-down baby walker including a top frame, legs slidably and rockably con nected near their upper ends with said frame, a floor carried by said legs and hingedly connected therewith, and braces rockably connected with said floor and slidably engaging said legs to brace said legs and floor, when the structure is erect.

3. A knock-down baby walker including a top frame, legs movably connected at their upper ends with the said frame, a floor car! ried by said legs and hingedly connected therewith near the lower, ends of the legs and U-shaped' brace yokes rockably mounted on said floor near the ends thereof and presenting side arms, said legs adjacent to said side arms having grooves and said arms having members engageable in said grooves.

4. A knock-clown structure including a top frame having longitudinal grooves at the under side thereof, guide rods fixed in said grooves, legs supporting said frame, and eyes on said legs and through which eyes the said rods loosely pass.

5. A knock-down structure including a top frame having longitudinal grooves at the under side thereof, guide rods fixed in said grooves, legs for supporting said frame at the ends, and rings loosely secured to said legs and loosely embracing said guide rods, the ends of said grooves constituting stops to limit the movement of said rings in either direction.

6. A knock-down structure of the class de- 7 RAYMOND NOEL, SR. 

